One component of UMMS’s mission is to provide affordable, high-quality medical education to state residents and to increase the number of PCPs practicing in underserved areas of the state. This study responds to our growing need to recruit future PCPs by investigating differences in relationships with advisors/mentors between those students who pursue a primary care residency and those who do not. Presented at the AAMC (Association of American Colleges) Annual Meeting, RIME (Research in Medical Education) Program, November 2009.

Previous research findings suggest “independent learning” appeared to be the single most useful method for helping students facilitate learning in their preclinical years. This study extends upon our prior work exploring students’ definition of independent learning. Presented at the AAMC (Association of American Colleges) Annual Meeting, RIME (Research in Medical Education) Program, November 2009.

In 2003 it was forecasted that medical students’preclinical learning would mostly consist of large portions of educational training and instruction provided on the internet and other technology tools, while the traditional lecture format would become more infrequent. Five years later many medical schools have adapted to this new technological-enhanced learning environment. No one can argue that today’s millennial generation of medical students is more familiar with technology than their predecessors. However, does this technology savvy generation report that these new tools are indeed superior when compared to the traditional tools of facilitating learning and understanding in the preclinical years? Additionally, is there a difference in usefulness of learning techniques for students in year one as compared to year two of medical school? This study examines the learning tools in basic science courses to determine how the millennial generation of students report they are learning best. Tools from our blended learning curriculum were investigated within and across preclinical years one and two. Presented at the AAMC (Association of American Colleges) Annual Meeting, RIME (Research in Medical Education) Program, November 2008.

How do medical students learn about the healthcare impact of essential multiculturalism issues in an increasingly diverse population? This study gauges student participation in a variety of multiculturalism curricula and student assessment of curriculum time devoted to multiculturalism at school versus national levels.